Allow me to introduce Mychal Connolly. Mychal is a self made business man and entrepreneur. We met back in the early days after we aired on Shark Tank and have remained good friends ever since. Mychal can be found in inc Magazine, Vigin.com, Black Enterprise Magazine and has been heard on NPR radio,Mychal was named one of the 40 Under 40 and has written a book, Launch and Standout.His mentors include the originators of Yankee Candles and Vermont Teddy Bears.Myke conducts a marketing networking series called Marketing and Cupcakes. He was recently named Co-Chair to the Western MA board of S.C.O.R.E. Mychal loves to mentor and his no nonsense, practical approach to business and entrepreneurship makes him THE perfect fit for this podcast.

Are you a Starter or Finisher? Do you struggle to finish what you start? Do you know someone in your world who's a Finisher and if so, why haven't you saterted to collaborate with them?  Tracey lists 9 ongoing projects which are 8 too many. She outlines her plan to rein it in in 2022.

If you've ever watched CNBC, ABC's Shark Tank or a host of other financial programming, then my guest today needs no real introduction. Kevin O'Leary is a Canadian businessman, entrepreneur and financial investor.  Although our connection wasn't optimum, I had the chance to spend a bit of time discussing investing, entrepreneurship and his love of wine and music.I also got to finally ask, why he thought we (Wicked Good Cupcakes) were a risk worth taking on Shark Tank and also find out, what in his mind makes a business investable.

In this Wicked Quick Biz Tip, I share a story from our customer service annals.  Being a customer service agent is hard enough without todays's angry climate, the holidays and supply chain shortages. Everyone loses their cool. But when one angry customer called us because a deadly plane crash quite possibly delayed her order...Well. It was time for an attitude adjustment and a lesson in compassion.

Minday Zemrak has made a mark for herself not only as a casting director extraordinaire but as a 2 time Emmy nominated, casting director! She shares how she went from life in Maine to a student at USC Film School and then to casting director, all while explaining what people should know, when getting ready to audition for a show. She talks about work/life balance as well as what it's like to find out that you've been nominated for an Emmy. Twice!Mindy takes the time to describe for us what the life of someone working in casting is really like. She also shares tips on how you can break into the biz, just like she did 14+ years ago. Mindy is fun, energetic and was such a great interview. Thanks Mindy!

It's hard enough being a female entrepreneur at times. But try and tell someone you bake cupcakes...Now they'll NEVER take you seriously. I always struggled with feeling like I was never educated enough. But this takes the cake.

In this episode of Wicked Quick Biz Tips, I talk about experience vs product. For all of the new entrepreneurs out there, you can learn alot about your customer just by listening to your business. Take the time to figure out who is buying from you and why. These clues along with other subtle hints will help you to reach more people who would be ideal customers for your biz and to keep your current customers coming back for more.

Supply Chain and inventory shortages are rearing their ugly heads again...Just in time for Q4 and Holiday.As a business owner one needs to know what the status of their inventory is at all times, use short term forecasting and keep open lines of communication with third party vendors.These subjects are stressed several times throughout this Wicked Quick Biz Tip. A bomus edition of Don't Call Me Cupcake, where Tracey shares a story and a lesson learned from one of her businesses in 15 minutes or less!

In this episode, Tracey's guest, Lauren Miller Rogen speaks candidly and emotionally about her mother Adele's  battle  with Alzheimer's Disease and the affects this tragic disease has  on the caregivers/family members in their lives. Lauren shares how Hilarity For Charity was born out of her need to do something for  the millions of families faced with what truly is, The Long Goodbye."https://wearehfc.org/       Hilarity For Charityhttps://thewomensalzheimersmovement.org/     The Women's Alzheimer's Movementhttps://www.alz.org/        Alzheimer's Association

Juston McKinney is a comedic legend, having produced several Amazon prime specials, and having made appearances on the Tonight Show and Comedy Central to name a few. He has written for tv and was at the top of his game in the early 2000's when a life changinf decision altered the course of his career. Juston candidly talks about his career, life as a standup comedian and describes what it takes to wrestle your foot in the door to this pressure filled and competitive sector of the entertainment industry.

Why do you want to be successful? Is it for yourself or for another underlying reason? Although this questions may appear a bit ridiculous at first, (After all...We all want to be successful right?) the reasons behind our motivations may actually end up hurting our chances of achieving the level of accomplishment you strive for, rather than helping you get there.

Tracey Noonan, Entreprenuer, Public Speaker and Shark Tank winner interviews Kasey Anton, the female powerhouse behind Spark Business Consulting. Kasey's no nonsense approach to starting, growing and succeeding at your business brings with it the importance of knwoing your numbers, as well as learning to "stay in your business lane." She also illustrates how the addition of Profit First, a best selling method that teaches you how to start your business turning a profit, makes perfect sense. Her encouraging manner and upbeat sense of humor makes for easy listening that entertains as well as informs.

Are you a Mompreneur who has a great idea but isn't sure about whether you can handle life, family and the commitment that comes with being an entrepreneur?  Rest assured, you are not alone. Sara Margulis of Honeyfund, a wedding/life registry that appeared on Shark Tank along with Jenni-lyn Williams, founder and CEO of Snarky Tea, also a Shark Tank winner talk about the challenges they face each day while running their businesses and the stressors of keeping their successful businesses afloat.The conversation ranges from advertising issues with Apple ios 14.5, Covid 19 challenges and finding time for yourself. Learning how to schedule (or not!) each day and the advantages of doing your own thing are also debated. Sara and Jenni-Lyn are open and candid about inventory chain issues, fund raising and how any in person events that didn't happen in 2020 affected their bottom line and morale.They also talk breifly about their experiences on Shark Tank. This fun and informative Episode of Don't Call me Cupcake is a definite must "hear."

Tracey Noonan, Entrepreneur, Public Speaker and Shark Tank Winner has an open and lively discussion with her daughter Dani, co- founder of WGC and "partner in crime", following their recent acquisition by national brand, Hickory Farms. Joining Tracey and Dani are Scott Noonan, Tracey's husband and Dani's step-dad who joined WGC in 2014 and Sandi Evensen, their first and remaining co-worker. Topics include, working as a family, how to make money stretch, life before and after Shark Tank, as well as how learning on the fly was a part of everyday, business life.

In this bonus episode of Wicked Quick biz tips, a share a customer debacle that happened to us at Wicked Good Cupcakes, shortly after our initial Shark Tank airing and right at Mother's Day.The 3 F's are a quick mantra for you to follow and keep in mind when a less than optimal customer service experience occurs. And trust me, unhappy customers happen. But always remember...It's not so much the why as it is how you work with the customer to make them happy and trusting once again.

Tracey Noonan, Entrepreneur, Public Speaker and Shark Tank Winner interviews friends and business partners, Marci Bracken and Bridget Snell, founders and editors of the new magazine, Living Crue, the night of their launch.Marci and Bridget discuss how they met, developed their concept and finally put their dream and plans into motion. This female driven, content filled, printed mag, offers their readers the opportunity to be contributors, a unique and fun concept that gives closet writers, poets and other creatives a platform to share their voices.The women also discuss all the other life components that accompany being a wife, mother and entrepreneur in our fast paced, ever changing world.

My name is Tracey Noonan. My daughter Dani and I successfully grew a national brand and attracted the attention of ABC's hit show, Shark Tank. We did this in spite of the fact that we only had highschool educations, no money and I was a 49 year old mom when we began! In 2013, we inked a royalty deal with Mr. Wonderful, Kevin O'Leary and the rest they say is history.  I'll talk about how we took our Boston based Wicked Good Cupcakes from our home kitchen to an acquisition in just 10 short years!  In this first episode, I introduce myself and talk about how I will help you learn how to start and grow your business. I identify the 4 major roadblocks that all entrepreneurs must tackle, in order to be a success.  More business tips and helpful resources, along with amazing guests to follow in future episodes. Stay tuned! You'll be glad you did.